Their course video “Introduction to Emotional Intelligence” starts off with our perceptions of being successful. Greater self-awareness, the ability to “remain calm and confident in a crisis” and if we could “understand people better" are highlighted. These “qualities come under the umbrella emotional intelligence - and are skills that are teachable.”

New Brain Science & Business

There is quite a bit of new science behind all of this called “neuroplasticity.” Without getting too lost in the jargon, it has an interesting premise. It is based on - what we think and pay attention to - changes the brain – even for adults – and this can be trained.

If we can focus or harness this for example, by creating a mind that can be “calm and clear” on demand, we can achieve better results –and happiness.

The technique is “mindfulness” which is paying “attention” in a “non-judgmental” way. Mindfulness is at the heart of SIYLI’s emotional intelligence training.

Sound crazy? Fortune 100 companies and over “1,000 Google employees” have been through this. It is an interesting web site and it may be worth checking out: www.siyli.org

We are All Young

Over the last couple of weeks, we have explored new thinking about how to approach our business and community challenges.

It’s not surprising really, as a species we are relatively young.

National Geographic channel is running a series modeled after the famous Carl Sagan shows. This one is called “Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey.”

They did an interesting thing here and divided the cosmic calendar into one of our calendar years. If you divide that each day equals roughly “40 million years.”

That means we only evolved on the “last hour of the last day of the cosmic year.” In their analogy this would be December 31st.

“All of recorded history” they claim “only occupies the last 14 seconds…”

Does that put our human development in a different perspective?!

Kids in a Candy Store

We are just kids in a rather old candy store. And we are growing up. I mean we are more capable than our human ancestors right? When you think how far we have come in just the last 100 years and how our lives have changed even over the last 10 – it is incredible. In fact, some would argue that time itself is moving faster and of course Einstein, that Adirondacker, had his own theory of space and time - together.

It’s all becoming relative Watson.

If we are evolving and it seems more quickly than ever, shouldn’t we use some of this new “thinking” or “intelligences” that not only we possess but others as well like nature, to develop better solutions or business practices?

Some can be simple:

Outdoor classroom Why when it comes to business seminars do we seem to be mainly in the sterile lights of the indoors? What about a business class that is a canoe trip? Here we are telling our visitors in our ad campaigns to come up here and be rejuvenated and inspired – what about us?

Partnering with our Colleges Some of these new nature-based business and community development programs are college accredited. Is there a possibility to offer them here? It is not that far off from some of our leadership based programs the schools offer already.

Forum on New Business & Community Thinking How about inviting some of these new business and community development thought leaders here? Google’s Institute is all over the world. For example, there was one this month in Toronto. How about one here? Would that be cool or what?

Think 4-D I think back to my parents who went through a depression and war. They had basic needs they struggled with such as food. Today, does it seem we are trying to meet customer demands for what they FEEL they need – the better smartphone, the faster computer and the chance to get away from it all or the thrill of adventure?

To understand our customer in the day of increasingly personalized marketing is to understand who they are, how they FEEL, what motivates them and moves their psyche. Just traditional business and community methodologies may be Neanderthal thinking.

After all isn’t that what the “experience economy” is all about? It’s no longer about just the better room, or selling the latest technology, is it about having them FEEL good about what they are getting?

I don’t claim to understand all of this myself. I get the sense though that I should reconsider my “connections” as something greater and to include other intelligences in making decisions. Also, there may be new ways to “attract” success by using my brain and thoughts differently – and that this can be trained.

Who Are We?

Sometimes we are so overwhelmed and feel so small we may need to remind ourselves that if a universe does begin in a spec we can’t even see on our finger – how many universes can fit inside of us?

“Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey” finishes with a quote from Carl Sagan: “We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.”

Perhaps who we are is larger than I give credit to as I get lost in the disconnected moments of the hectic daily grind. That perhaps the creation of better solutions for our own businesses and communities lies in new connections within and all around us.

If nothing else I encourage you to learn more about this new business and community development thinking.